1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lamps, flashlights, and signal lights and particularly to a flashlight insert designed to fit into an oil-type cigarette lighter outer case.
2. Description of the Related Art
A flashlight insert for use in a cigarette lighter outer case is shown in Zippo (a registered trademark of The Zippo Manufacturing Company) U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,359,505 and 5,424,929. In both patents, a flashlight is created by replacing the oil-type cigarette lighter insert sub-assembly by a battery powered lighting module. FIG. 1 shows a cross section view of prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,505. The cigarette lighter outer case 2 is shown with a lid 1 and encloses a plastic flashlight insert 3. The flashlight insert 3 contains batteries 4, lamp bulb 5, and switch 6. Flat conducting strips 8 and 9 connect batteries 4 to lamp 5. Flat conductor 10 connects one battery terminal to the lighter outer case 2. Switch 6 is a plastic button attached to a flexible flat conductor 7. Conductor 7 makes contact with the lighter outer case 2 when lid 1 is open, thus connecting the batteries together through the metal lighter outer case and completing the circuit to turn on lamp 5. When lid 1 is closed, it engages plastic button 6 and forces the conductor 7 away from the lighter outer case 2, opening the circuit and turning off lamp 5. Thus it can be seen that this flashlight insert relies on the electrical conductivity of the inside surface of a cigarette lighter outer case to complete the circuit to turn on the flashlight. It has been observed that some cigarette lighter outer cases are painted for decorative purposes, and that paint can get to the inside surface of the outer case causing electrical connection problems with the flashlight insert. In addition, foreign material and dirt can collect on the inside surface of the lighter case causing electrical connection problems. Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,929 was established by Zippo to overcome certain issues like those above. It does not rely on a cigarette lighter outer case for a conduction path, but uses a cigarette lighter outer case to enable conduction within a flashlight insert. However, both of the above patents of the prior art rely on a plastic electrically insulated outer shell to house all of the internal conductor strips of the flashlight insert in order to prevent short-circuits between conductor strips and between certain conductor strips and the cigarette lighter outer case. The invention here within provides solutions to all problems within the prior art while providing for a low cost flashlight insert for oil-type cigarette lighters. The oil-type lighter terminology as used herein refers to a Zippo type oil lighter construction as disclosed in Zippo U.S. Pat. No. 2,032,695, which is taken herein, in its entirety, as a reference.